Set limits: Cup: 3 sets for practice, 1 set for qualifying and 9 sets for the race; Xfinity: 6 sets for the event; Truck: 6 sets for the event
Tire Codes: Left-side — D-4868; Right-side — D-4872
Tire Circumference: Left-side — 2,227 mm (87.68 in.); Right-side — 2,250 mm (88.58 in.)
Minimum Recommended Inflation: Left Front — 19 psi; Left Rear — 19 psi; Right Front — 49 psi; Right Rear — 45 psi
Storyline – Corner speeds and loads to reach monstrous levels at Dover: Like Bristol, Dover is a high-speed, high-load track that features a concrete surface. The right-side tire run there must withstand the loads generated and at the same time have a tread compound that will rubber-in the track surface. With the new higher downforce settings and 750 horsepower engine package in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, corner speeds will be up at Dover, thus putting more demand on the tires.
“Like we saw at Bristol, Dover will provide quite the challenge for the Cup cars,” said Greg Stucker, Goodyear’s director of racing. “This falling under the ‘short track’ category, with the high downforce and high horsepower settings, the Cup cars will be running extremely fast through the corners and putting an extreme amount of load on the tires. Grip will be at a premium and we always put a priority on rubbering in the concrete surface, which we are able to do to an appropriate level with the compounds we bring to Dover.”
Notes – New tire set-up debuts for all three series at Dover: Teams in all three NASCAR series in action at Dover this weekend will run the same tire set-up . . . this is the first time any of these teams have run either of these two Goodyear tire codes . . . this set-up was confirmed at a tire test at Dover on April 9 . . . teams and drivers participating in that test were Richard Childress Racing with Austin Dillon, Chip Ganassi Racing with Kyle Larson and Roush-Fenway Racing with Ricky Stenhouse Jr. . . . compared to what was run at Dover last season, this set-up features construction updates on both sides of the car and, for Cup and Xfinity, a compound change on the left-side designed to match up better with the higher downforce package in Cup . . . Dover is unique among NASCAR ovals one mile or less in length, in that inner liners are required on all four tire positions . . . air pressure in those inner liners should be 12-25 psi greater than that of the outer tire.
Upcoming Tire Test – Chicagoland test delayed until next week due to weather: Originally scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday of this week, Goodyear will now hold its tire test at Chicagoland Speedway next Tuesday and Wednesday (May 7-8) due to inclement weather in the Joliet, Ill., area . . . teams (drivers) scheduled to participate are Penske Racing (Brad Keselowski), Roush-Fenway Racing (Ryan Newman) and Wood Brothers Racing (Paul Menard).
